Fountain beverage dispensing equipment is well known in the art and is often designed to dispense both beverage drinks and ice. Typically, several individual dispensing valves and a single ice dispense chute are positioned on the dispenser above a drip tray. The drip tray serves as a platform on which a receptacle, such as a cup, can be placed as it is being filled. The drip tray support surface or cup rest generally comprises a wire grate with spacing between the wires of the grate allow any spilled beverage to flow there between to a drain located there below.
Since a cup is often held during dispensing, and particularly when being filled with ice, the cup rest is not as necessary in the area directly below the ice dispensing chute. Thus, the grate wire spacing can be increased or eliminated to permit any spilled ice particles to fall directly into the driptray and not build up directly on the surface of the cup rest. Under many conditions the inherent volume of the driptray below the cup rest can accommodate enough ice such that buildup thereof above the level of the cup rest is not a problem. However, during periods of high use, sufficient ice can spill in excess of its melt rate such that a significant volume thereof can then accumulate in the tray. A build up of ice in this manner can interfere with the physical placement of a cup below the ice dispensing chute, and will eventually lead to ice falling from the driptray onto the floor area surrounding the dispenser. Thus, in addition to making use more difficult, drip tray ice build up can result in the floor area around the dispenser becoming wet and having particles of ice thereon, which presents cleanliness and safety hazard problems.
Conventional heating elements can be used to melt accumulated driptray ice, however the cost thereof can be prohibitive if separate temperature sensing and control means are used to maintain and operate the heating element within a predetermined temperature range. Where no controls are used, the heating element simply runs continuously, thus wasting power when heating is not required. Also, should a control mechanism fail, such heaters can reach temperatures well above what would be practical or safe for standard plastic drip trays. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a way of eliminating or minimizing such ice build up problems in a manner that is safe, reliable and of low cost.
In ice and beverage dispensing machines of the above described type, an electrical drive motor is used to rotate an ice stirring auger and associated ice lifting mechanism. This mechanism is located in the ice storage bin, and is rotated to maintain the ice cubes in a free flowing individual state and to direct the ice to the ice dispensing chute when dispensing therefrom is required. The ice moving and lifting mechanism is typically driven by a gear motor consisting of an electrical drive motor secured to a reduction drive gear box. This drive unit is secured to the bin and includes a metal shaft that extends into the bin and is ultimately connected to the ice stirring and dispensing mechanism. A problem with the motor and gearbox assembly concerns the conductive cooling thereof through the shaft and by close contact thereof with the bin. This cooling can reach a temperature well below the ambient dewpoint resulting in unwanted water condensation on the motor and gearbox. This condensation can drip there from resulting in corrosion and electrical conductivity problems with other internal components of the dispenser, as well as the drive unit itself.
Conventional heating elements are used, but run continuously thereby consuming more electrical power than is required, particularly during times that the drive is operating and sufficiently warm. Accordingly, it would also be desirable to have a way of eliminating or minimizing such condensation problems in a manner that is safe, reliable and low in cost.